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[bogeyebill]

Morning all, first off i would like to say, what a great forum this is. Having browsed through over the last few days i already have learned some very valuable information, so thumbs up to you all.

 

About myself, I'm Pete, married to Jackie, safety advisor to a major electricity supplier. Love the outdoors, fishing, walking my dog etc. And have always had a small interest in boats (various types) but never had the guts to purchase one.

 

My parents own a 57ft dutch barge style narrow boat and will shortly be retiring onto it, having spent numerous great wkends on it, we have decided to take the plunge and buy our own

 

So the adventure starts today. I am viewing a 40ft Narrowcraft built (comments please on brand quality etc) trad style in need of some tidying up today. As i am not desperate to get out there immediatly, i thought tinkering and messing to get a boat to my standard is a good budget way to get started.

 

Anyway im sure i will have loads to ask in the future, and hopefully one day be able to meet up with some of you.

[simonebb]

Hi

 

I have been on the forum for a few months but have only just become a boat owner for the first time! So I feel I should introduce myself formerly now.

 

My partner (Nik) and I have just bought a 40ft Narrowboat and she is currently in the boatyard for repairs and maintenance, she's a bit of a project requiring some work to restore her back to canal worthiness but according to the survey a worthwhile project.

 

I feel slightly fraudulent as she will be statically moored for the next few years but we do intend to eventually pop her on a flatbed and explore the canal ways, which will be a whole new experience.

 

We are both really green in all boating related matters and have been on a steep learning curve of late, and thats just about paint!! it feels like the beginning of a great adventure and we are really excited about it.

 

The forum has been very welcoming to newbies like us and a great place to get questions answered - or a least start a debate

 

Simone

[Wheresmeticket?]

Hi guys. Robert here, living in Cornwall in a house, but planning to up sticks soon. Lived on a NB off York Way (?) behind Kings Cross back in the early 1990s for a few months, and thinking of going back for a whole complex of reasons.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Wheresmeticket?

[JammyJess]

Hi, i'm Jess. Me and my boyfriend are looking for a boat to buy at the moment. We think we've found one but its really far from us, I posted a question about all that in boat handling (by mistake).

Anyways, I lived on my mums boat a few years ago for a winter and knew it was the life for me, lucky for me my boyfriend feels the same.

This looks like a great site, very glad to have found it in time for our boaty adventures.

[hilaryb]

Hi everyone. As of this weekend I will be the owner of a 57 foot narrowboat on the K and A. Looking forward to getting aboard after going through a tortuous house sale. Anyone on the K and A near to Devizes?

[Ex- Member]

Hi everyone. As of this weekend I will be the owner of a 57 foot narrowboat on the K and A. Looking forward to getting aboard after going through a tortuous house sale. Anyone on the K and A near to Devizes?

 

Hi Hilary

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

We've just put our boat on the water in Trowbridge now in our second week. We're currently moored in Seend just below the Caen Hill Flight. I believe there's a few boaters who are members on the forum above the flight in Devizes and toward Chippenham. I'm sure they'll make them selves known.

 

Good luck with your new venture, I'm sure we'll meet up some time somewhere LOL We'll be between here and Briston for the best part of the year.

[suec7566]

Hi there, i'm a newbie, well so new i don't have a boat yet!!!

Doing my homework, but really need help,

Was thinking 50 - 60ft, semi trad, don't mind a bit of internal refurb but know nothing about engine etc.,

Confused,

 

suec7566

 

[Ray T]

Hello and welcome.

 

A couple of sites may help:

 

http://www.tb-training.co.uk/ for information on mechanicals etc.

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/ lots of boats to suit all purses here.

[suec7566]

Thanx, any help is welcome!

[joflet]

Hi all, another boatless (for now) hopeful here! Sold the house following profound lifestyle change, been looking around for a good few months now and planning to sink (!) the equity into a tatty but sound narrowboat @ £15k ish... I know it's a tallish order but there seem to be a few possibles around at any given time, looking for something 35ft+ with a recent hull survey...

 

I spent several years living in vans and trailers in the mid-late 90s so winters, roughing it, gen maintenance etc hold no fears!

 

My nearest canals are the Huddersfield Narrow, Rochdale, Macc/Peak Forest, Ashton etc, all of which I've walked over the last year or so.

The biggest issue seems to be finding affordable local moorings - I'd be a happy CCer but am tied to this area for at least a year or two. Money will be tight so something around £1k pa would be favourite, but of course all the best ones are taken with no sign of anyone moving any time soon...

 

What I really need to do is look more closely at other people's boats, and talk to them about the reality of life on t' cut. This site is excellent, lots of useful advice plus a taste of some of the controversies (and sides taken) that narrowboating seems to generate!

 

Reading on...

[puppy999]

Hi all I am a newbie on this forum but not to boating as I have friends with boats

Now my brother and I are hoping to get our own and live on it

Since we decided I have been on here and learnt such a lot from you lot its unbelievable

I have never steered a narrow boat before as I sit at the front drinking wine and smoking lol

BUT I was thrown in the deep end so to speak the 5 locks near Adlington the first one

didn't have enough water it would have meant opening all 10 gates (well so my friend told me)

and we didnt have enough time he had to pull it back wards and holy sh*t I had to do the rest

talk about tummy in my mouth as I new I had not to get too close to the banking when going in reverse

as the water is really low well I did it and really enjoyed it (once my tummy got over the shock) lol xx

[Avril]

Help!! I'm about to purchase my first nb (read- my first any boat) like many others, I have been wanting to do this for a long time but life kept getting in my way, things have changed, so now I'm ready! I lived on Brighton Marina for 5 years back in the 90's but never got involved with anything practical, this site has been a godsend, experienced boaters seem genuinely happy to offer advice and boy am I gonna need it! Firstly, would members advise to go ahead now (I've seen quite a few boats in my price range) and attempt to live aboard in the winter as my first experience or try to curb my enthusiasm and wait for spring? I intend to get some practical training (from trainers mentioned by other members) and as I am based in Essex at present will probably look at east London marinas for mooring.

[lampini]

Hi...

 

Made a couple of posts before i noticed this - oops!

 

Meself and t'other 'arf are finally (nearly) in the position to get our own boat - i'm new to boating but he's not.. Just like to say that this forum is a truly awesome source of info for me atm, as - altho' i used to live on a bus (*reaches for hard-hat*) there's an awful big difference in the tech to get one's head around.. (altho' some of the "politics" does seem hauntingly familiar!)

 

Thanks to all the regular posters for all the informative stuff i've read so far - you rock!

 

May your lights never dim....

 

xxx

[rich59]

Hi,

 

Howdie. I have been interested in canal life for some years and taken several holidays afloat. More recently, though I find I have a heritage interest. I live near 2 old South London canal routes - the Croydon Canal and the Grand Surrey Canal. I have been gathering a little information about them from the internet, but I wonder if there are other sources.

 

Rich

[twelveeyedfish]

Hi all,

 

Andrew here. I've been on the site posting for a while now and you don't all seem like total dimwits like most of the people on the internet forums so I'm sticking around.

 

I have been involved in the renovation of a narrowboat which was recently sold and now I'm in the position to move aboard myself now. I've found a marina and therefore can pick a boat. I decided a nice shell with a liveable interior that I could decorate was what I wanted. Develop some new skills. I'm okay on engines.

 

I work as an electronics and software engineer. Great and widely available work but jobs come and go with projects which has put me off buying a house. Having lived in a caravan for a long time in the past I decided a canal boat was definitely a good move.

 

In the past I have lived in Manchester, Devizes and Guildford so I have seen a few canals. Now is the best practical time for me to move aboard and it's all going well. Offer going in on a vessel tomorrow! I think it was somewhat overpriced and have made a reasonable offer - be interesting to see what the seller thinks! Hehe. I like a challenge.

 

Given what i do for a living I am interested in developing a few bits and pieces of electronics to help boats do nice things. Internet remote controls like those heating system have are really simple although I think so much more could be achieved! Remote battery monitoring and things. Not for profit, just for fun!Tell me your ideas!

 

Well, catch up soon folks.

[JohnnyHop]

Hi all,

 

John (with partner Donna) here, new to boating and intending to buy a fairly big cruiser (26-36 feet). We will be moored somewhere near the top of the Trent, and are aware that our probable wide beam will restrict us regarding trips/destinations etc. All beam info seems reasonably clear and consistent. Where I'm struggling is air draft. Our target boat has an air draft of 7'9'', and I can't find any clear evidence that we'll be able to travel any further than Shardlow Marina and the start of the Beeston Canal without finding a low/narrowly arched bridge that will halt our progress. We really fancy tootling up and down the Soar on a regular basis, popping into Nottingham, and when we have our competence up (confidence is not a problem), heading down the Trent as far as time will allow, and we don't want poor boat choice combined with poor forward planning of the original bridge builders (!) to limit our ambitions.

 

So, any enlightenment anyone can offer us on Trent/Soar related air draft?

 

Much appreciated in advance.

[lachlan]

Hi every one ... !

My name is lachlan and i am from united states . I am new in this board . Boating is my passion and that's why i am here. I want to make some interesting discussion with all of you on various topics . Hopefully this going to be very helpful for all of us .

[Dharl]

Hello All,

 

thought I would introduce my self!

 

Have been "lurking" on the site for a while and learning a lot! My Wife and I are just back from a weeks trip on the K&A from Hilperton to Bristol and back on a 'hire' boat and have both said it was the best holiday ever! Met lots of great boaters, both on hire boats and also on private vessels. So much so that my wife is already looking to hire again next year on a couple of occasions and we are seriously looking to join a boat ownership syndicate (poss with ABC Leisure), and even think about owning our own boat in the future......one step at a time!

 

whilst not new to boats, am very new to canal's so am sure will ask the odd stupid question! Please bear with me!

 

See you on the Cut!

 

David & Jess

Hello All,

 

thought I would introduce my self!

 

Have been "lurking" on the site for a while and learning a lot! My Wife and I are just back from a weeks trip on the K&A from Hilperton to Bristol and back on a 'hire' boat and have both said it was the best holiday ever! Met lots of great boaters, both on hire boats and also on private vessels. So much so that my wife is already looking to hire again next year on a couple of occasions and we are seriously looking to join a boat ownership syndicate (poss with ABC Leisure), and even think about owning our own boat in the future......one step at a time!

 

whilst not new to boats, am very new to canal's so am sure will ask the odd stupid question! Please bear with me!

 

See you on the Cut!

 

David & Jess

[Jimini]

hi all,

 

as the thread suggests i am new to boating, looking at buying a narrowboat as a retreat/ my own space, possibly becoming a full time liveaboard as moorings/ work etc allow... im only 24 so dont think a continuous cruising setup is practical for me at the mo, financially if nothing else.

 

am probably going to look at mooring on the ripon canal, as its convenient to home and work at the minute, then see how things progress...

 

still in the research stages at the minute tho... not in a massive hurry really, so sometime in the next couple of years...

 

(edited cos i missed bits out)

Edited October 11, 2013 by Jimini

[Sus Davy]

Hi all,

 

We are in the process of buying our first narrowboat. Survey is being done next week! Hopefully having her brought down from Rugby the week after, unfortunately due to time restrictions we're going to have to get her craned out and transported on a lorry (nervracking!)

 

We're really excited, but it's a pretty new thing for us!

 

We have lived in a caravan for a few months so know we can manage with less space.

 

Any advice to new cruisers would be much welcome!

 

Anyone got any vital tips / advice we should know before stepping aboard?

 

We will be CC-ing for the first year at least, possibly longer if we like it like that, if not might hunt for a mooring spot somewhere!

 

Thanks

[Mendip-Locks]

Hi everyone, I'm Ade and I live in Somerset, no intentions of buying a boat just yet, found this site and signed up as it's a great resource. I last ventured on a NB probably 26/27 years ago for a 2 week holiday. Been along the K&A cycling and walking many a time in recent years. Both my wife Karen and I love canals rivers and the like so I'm just testing the water, so to speak.

 

Ade

[julie and co]

HI, we have recently moved onto our first narrowboat

Introducing ourselves, Julie, Mick and Tigger the Cat

 

Hi to everyone

[Phil Ambrose]

Welcome aboard, you are going to love your new lifestyle..... And this Forum

 

Phil

[kyber]

​Abandoning the Rat Race

 

Hi all. Fantastic forum. Huge amounts of useful information (much of which I need).

 

My wife, Lucy, and I have decided that we would like to live afloat. This is triggered by lots of factors, but the main one is that I do not want to have to find another high-powered (and very stressful) job after being made redundant earlier this year just to maintain a house that is way too large for us now our two children are reaching the end of their university courses and have plans to live elsewhere.

 

Although we have never lived afloat long term, we have had many many holidays over the years sometimes as small family units, sometimes taking large groups (with me usually doing the cooking in all cases). We have even had a Christmas on a near frozen canal with me producing a full Christmas Dinner in a small galley.

 

Selling up

 

It is going to take a while to sell the house, and having lived on redundancy money for a few months, we do need to sell before we buy. That gives us time to find suitable moorings (leisure rather than residential as we do not need to stay all year in one location, we should have jobs that let us take work in different places from time-to-time). Not sure whether to buy used or new as yet, nor exactly what we want.

 

Our biggest challenge will probably be trying to sell all the stuff we do not want to put in storage. Frankly, we do not have much we want to store anyway (aside from costs). Anyone been down this path?

[deckhand]

​Abandoning the Rat Race

 

Hi all. Fantastic forum. Huge amounts of useful information (much of which I need).

 

My wife, Lucy, and I have decided that we would like to live afloat. This is triggered by lots of factors, but the main one is that I do not want to have to find another high-powered (and very stressful) job after being made redundant earlier this year just to maintain a house that is way too large for us now our two children are reaching the end of their university courses and have plans to live elsewhere.

 

Although we have never lived afloat long term, we have had many many holidays over the years sometimes as small family units, sometimes taking large groups (with me usually doing the cooking in all cases). We have even had a Christmas on a near frozen canal with me producing a full Christmas Dinner in a small galley.

 

Selling up

 

It is going to take a while to sell the house, and having lived on redundancy money for a few months, we do need to sell before we buy. That gives us time to find suitable moorings (leisure rather than residential as we do not need to stay all year in one location, we should have jobs that let us take work in different places from time-to-time). Not sure whether to buy used or new as yet, nor exactly what we want.

 

Our biggest challenge will probably be trying to sell all the stuff we do not want to put in storage. Frankly, we do not have much we want to store anyway (aside from costs). Anyone been down this path?

HI,

Welcome to the forum,

Your story is not far off the same as ours.

Fed up of corporate clap trap, we both got out of it. Bought a new boat to our own design, selling the house. On the boat now and don't want to keep going back to the bricks and mortar so looking for a buyer pretty sharpish so we can get on boat full time. Absolutely love it. The belongings we collected in the house mean nothing to us now, sold the furniture, got rid of all the knick-knacks, reduced the wardrobes by about 70%.

 

Hope you love it as much as we do and we have all that cruising to look forward to next year. So looking forward to cooking the Christmas dinner )

 

regards

 

Kim